ABSOLUTISM IN FRANCE I HENRY IV (Henry of Navarre) 1589-1610 1. Laid the foundation for France becoming the strongest European power in the 17th century. a. Strengthened the social hierarchy by strengthening government institutions: parlements, the treasury, universities and the Catholic Church b. First king to actively encourage French colonization in the New World: stimulated the Atlantic trade 2. First king of the Bourbon dynasty: a. Came to power in 1589 as part of a political compromise to end the French Civil Wars. b. Converted from Calvinism to Catholicism in order to gain recognition from Paris of his reign. c. Issued Edict of Nantes in 1598 providing a degree of religious toleration to the Huguenots (Calvinists) 3. Weakening of the nobility: a. The old nobility of the sword not allowed to influence the Royal Council. b. Many of the nobility of the robe, new nobles who purchased their titles from the monarchy, became high officials in the government and remained loyal to the king (e.g. Sully). 4. Duke of Sully (1560-1641): Finance minister a. His reforms enhanced the power of the monarchy. b. Mercantilism: increased role of the state in the economy in order to achieve a favorable balance of trade with other countries. 1) Granted monopolies in the production of gunpowder and salt 2) Encouraged manufacturing of silk and tapestries 3) Only the government could operate the mines 4) Subsidized the Company for Trade with the Indies. c. Reduced royal debt 1) Systematic bookkeeping and budgets 2) In contrast, Spain was drowning in debt d. Reformed the tax system to make it more equitable and efficient. e. Revived the paulette tax on those with judicial and financial offices f. Oversaw improved transportation 1) Began nation-wide highway system 2) Canals linked major rivers 3) Began canal to link the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean g. Henry was assassinated in 1610 by a fanatical monk who sought revenge for Henry s granting religious protections for the Huguenots. 1) Led to a severe crisis in power Henry IV Sully 9
2) Henry s widow, Marie de Medici, ruled as regent until their son came of age. II LOUIS XIII 1610-1643 1. As a youth, his regency was beset by corruption & mismanagement a. Feudal nobles and princes increased their power. b. Certain nobles convinced him to assume power and exile his mother. 2. Cardinal Richelieu 1585-1642 a. Laid foundation for absolutism in France b. Like Henry IV, he was a politique (he placed political issues ahead of religious principles) c. Intendant System. 1) Used to weaken the nobility 2) Replaced local officials with civil servants, intendants, who reported directly to the king. 3) Authorized "to decide, order and execute all that they see good to do." 4) Intendants were largely middle-class or minor nobles ( nobility of the robe ) 5) Each of the country s 32 districts had an intendant responsible for justice, police and finance. 6) Govt. became more efficient and centrally controlled. d. Richelieu broke the power of the nobility forcing the total subordination of all groups and institutions to the monarchy. He leveled castles and squashed conspiracies with quick executions. e. Built upon Sully s economic achievements in further developing mercantilism. f. Increased taxation to fund the military. g. Tax policies were not as successfully as Sully s. 1) Resorted to old system of selling offices. 2) Tax farmers ruthlessly exploited the peasantry. h. Richelieu subdued the Huguenots. 1) Peace of Alais (1629): Huguenots lost their fortified cities & Protestant armies. 2) Calvinist aristocratic influenced reduced. 3) Huguenots still allowed to practice Calvinism. i. Created the French Academy to prepare a dictionary and standardize the language. 3. Thirty Years War: a. Richelieu and Louis XIII sought to weaken the Hapsburg Empire (a traditional French policy dating back to Francis I in the early 16th century) and gain influence in Germany. Declared war on Spain in 1635. b. France supported Gustavus Adolphus with money during the Swedish Phase of the war c. Later, France entered the International Phase of the war and ultimately forced the Treaty of Westphalia on the Hapsburgs Louis XIII Richelieu 10
IV LOUIS XIV (1643-1715) THE SUN KING 1. Quintessential absolute ruler in European history a. He personified the idea that sovereignty of the state resides in the ruler. 1) L état, c est moi - I am the state. 2) He became known as the Sun King since he was at the center of French power (just as the sun is the center of our solar system). b. Strong believer in divine right of kings (advocated by Bishop Bossuet) c. He had the longest reign in European history (72 years); Inherited the throne when he was 5 years old from his father Louis XIII (Henry IV was his grandfather). d. France became the undisputed major power in Europe during his reign. 1) French population was the largest in Europe (17 million); accounted for 20% of Europe s population. This meant that a massive standing army could be created and maintained. 2) French culture dominated Europe. a) The French language became the international language in Europe for over two centuries and the language of the well-educated (as Latin had been during the Middle Ages). b) France became the epicenter of literature and the arts until the 20th century. 2. Tax System in France: a. The greatest weakness in France s economic system was financial - taxes: 1) The church, which controlled large tracts of land, paid no taxes. 2) Nobles, both of the sword and robe, paid no taxes. 3) The burden of taxes fell on the peasants and middle class. 4) Tax collection in the province was done by the highest bidder. 5) Tax collectors kept large shares of the taxes they collected. b. France was the largest and most populous country on the continent, excluding Russia, yet the government only received a fraction of taxes collected. c. Colbert followed a mercantilist policy which involved government subsidies of French industry and government regulations to encourage self-sufficiency and an export trade. These efforts had some success but were hampered by the inadequate tax base. d. The French economy was primarily dependent upon agriculture: 1) French farmers refused to modernize, e.g. enclosure, keeping crop yields low. 2) Periods of famine were inevitable; it was simply a matter of when they would happen. Civil unrest usually followed Louis XIV 11
famines. 3) French farmers were so heavily taxed that the agricultural sector was continually in crisis. e. Furthermore, costly wars drained the government and the economy. 3. The Fronde (1648) a. Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661) controlled France while Louis XIV was a child. b. He continued Richelieu's policies but his attempts to raise money were unsuccessful due to continual wars. c. Mazarin s attempted to tax the Parlement of Paris, which included many nobles. They refused sparking a revolt the Fronde. d. Causes: 1) Peasants revolted against high taxes and oppression by nobles. 2) The Nobles revolted against: a) The increasing centralization of power which stripped away their traditional feudal privileges. b) The growing power of lesser nobles (Nobles of the Robe) in running the government. 3) Everyone revolted against the huge debts being built up. e. The Mob: 1) A mob of angry Parisians broke into the royal palace and demanded to see their king to insure he was still in Paris. 2) Led into the royal bedchamber, they gazed upon Louis, who was feigning sleep, were appeased and quietly departed. 3) The threat to the royal family and Monarchy prompted Anne to flee Paris with the King and his courtiers. 4) This incident terrorized young Louis. f. Competition among various noble factions enabled Mazarin to crush the revolt. g. The Fronde was the last serious challenge to the supremacy of the monarchy. h. Effects of the Fronde: 1) The nobility was crushed. 2) Government had to compromise with the bureaucrats of the parlements - royal law courts at the local level. 3) The economy was badly disrupted. 4) Had a traumatic effect on the young Louis XIV - 10 yrs old. a) He would never feel safe in Paris again and moved to Versailles. b) He never forgot the humiliation he faced at the hands of the nobles early on and was determined to control them. 4. Government organization: a. Louis recruited his chief ministers from the middle class in order to keep the aristocracy out of government. b. Continued the intendant system begun by Richelieu. c. Checked the power of French institutions that might resist his control. 1) Parlements were fearful of resisting him after the failure of 12 Mazarin
the Fronde. 2) Officials who criticized the government could be arrested. 3) Louis never called the Estates General into session. d. Control over the peasantry (which accounted for about 95% of the population) 1) Some peasants kept as little as 20% of their cash crops after paying their landlord, government taxes and tithes to the Church. 2) Corvée: forced labor that required peasants to work for a month out of the year on roads and other public projects. 3) Idle peasants could be conscripted into the army or forced into workhouses. 4) Rebellious peasants could be executed or used as galley slaves on ships 5. Versailles Palace: a. Under Louis XIV, the Palace at Versailles became the grandest and most impressive palace in all of Europe. 1) The awe-inspiring scale of the palace reinforced his image as the most powerful absolute ruler in Europe. 2) The palace had originally been a hunting lodge for his father, Louis XIII. 3) The Baroque architecture was largely work of Marquis Louvois; the gardens were designed by LeVau 4) The façade was about 1/3 of a mile long; 1,400 fountains adorned the grounds 5) The royal court grew from about 600 people (when the king had lived in Paris) to about 10,000 people at Versailles 6) The cost of maintaining Versailles cost about 60% of all royal revenues! b. Versailles Palace became in effect a pleasure prison for the French nobility 1) Louis gained absolute control over the nobility 2) Fearful of noble intrigue, Louis required nobles to live at the palace for several months each year in order to keep an eye on them 3) Nobles were entertained with numerous recreational activities such as tournaments, hunts and concerts. Elaborate theatrical performances included the works of Racine and Moliere 6. Religious Policies: a. Louis considered himself the head of the Gallican Church (French Catholic Church). While he was very religious, he did not allow the pope to exercise political power in the French Church b. Edict of Fountainbleau (1685) revoked Edict of Nantes 1) Huguenots lost their right to practice Calvinism 2) About 200,000 Huguenots fled France for England, Holland and the English colonies in North America 13
7. Mercantilism: a. State control over a country s economy in order to achieve a favorable balance of trade with other countries. b. Bullionism: a nation s policy of accumulating as much precious metal (gold and silver) as possible while preventing its outward flow to other countries. c. French mercantilism reached its height under Louis finance minister, Jean Baptiste Colbert (1661-1683) d. Colbert s goal was economic self-sufficiency for France 1) Oversaw the construction of roads & canals 2) Granted gov t-supported monopolies in certain industries. 3) Cracked down on guilds 4) Reduced local tolls (internal tariffs) that inhibited trade 5) Organized French trading companies for international trade (East India Co., West India Co.) e. By 1683, France was Europe s leading industrial country 1) Excelled in such industries as textiles, mirrors, lace-making and foundries for steel manufacturing and firearms. 2) Colbert s most important accomplishment: developing the merchant marine f. Weaknesses of mercantilism and the French economy 1) Poor peasant conditions (esp. taxation) resulted in large emigration out of France 2) Louis opted for creating a massive army instead of a formidable navy. Result: France later lost naval wars with England g. Louis was at war for 2/3 of his reign. War in later years of Louis reign nullified Colbert s gains V WARS OF LOUIS XIV 1. Overview a. Wars were initially successful but eventually became economically ruinous to France. b. France developed the professional modern army. c. Perhaps the first time in modern European history that one country was able to dominate politics. d. A balance of power system emerged: 1) No one country would be allowed to dominate the continent since a coalition of other countries would rally against a threatening power. 2) Dutch stadtholder William of Orange (later King William III of England) was the most important figure in thwarting Louis expansionism 2. War of Devolution (First Dutch War), 1667-68 a. Louis XIV invaded the Spanish Netherlands (Belgium) without declaring war. b. Louis received 12 fortified towns on the border of the Spanish Netherlands but gave up the Franche-Comté (Burgundy) 14 Colbert
3. Second Dutch War (1672-78) a. Louis invaded the southern Netherlands as revenge for Dutch opposition in the previous war. b. Peace of Nijmegan (1678-79): 1) Represented the furthest limit to the expansion of Louis XIV. 2) France took Franche-Comté from Spain, gained some Flemish towns and took Alsace 4. War of the League of Augsburg (1688-97) a. Louis XIV invaded the Spanish Netherlands again in 1683. b. In response the League of Augsburg formed in 1686: HRE, Spain, Sweden, Bavaria, Saxony, Dutch Republic. Demonstrated emergence of balance of power. c. 2. William of Orange (now king of England) brought England in against France. Began a period of Anglo-French military rivalry that lasted until Napoleon s defeat in 1815. ( Second Hundred Years War : 1689-1815) d. 3. War ended with the status quo prior to the war. 5. War of Spanish Succession (1701-13) a. Cause: The will of Charles II (Hapsburg king) gave all Spanish territories to the grandson of Louis XIV. European powers feared that Louis would consolidate the thrones of France and Spain, thus creating a monster power that would upset the balance of power. (French manpower + Spanish wealth from America) b. Grand Alliance emerged in opposition to France: England, Dutch Republic, HRE, Brandenburg, Portugal, Savoy c. Battle of Blenheim (1704) 1) A turning point in the war that began a series of military defeats for France 2) England s army, led by the Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill ancestor of the 20th century leader Winston Churchill) and military forces of Savoy (representing the HRE) were victorious d. Treaty of Utrecht (1713) 1) Most important treaty between the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) and the Treaty of Paris (1763) a) Maintained the balance of power in Europe. b) Louis XIV s grandson was made king of Spain. c) Spainish and French dynasties were prohibited from uniting. d) Ended the expansionism of Louis XIV 2) Spanish possessions were partitioned. Britain was the biggest winner: a) Gained the asiento (slave trade) from Spain and the right to send one English ship to trade in Spain s New World empire b) Gained the Spanish territories of Gibraltar and Minorca. c) Belgium (Spanish Netherlands) given to Austria d) Netherlands gain some land as a buffer against future 15
French aggression 3) Prussia (Brandenburg) was recognized as a kingdom 6. Costs of Louis XIV s wars: a. Destroyed the French economy b. % of the French subjects died c. Huge debt would be placed on the shoulders of the Third Estate - French govt. was bankrupt d. Financial and social tensions would sow the seeds of the French Revolution later in the century. 16